Court grants bail to gangster Abu Salem in extortion case

New Delhi: In a reprieve to extradited
gangster Abu Salem, a court here has dismissed the plea of
Delhi police seeking to invoke harsher penal provision against
him and granted him bail in an extortion case lodged in 1998.

Salem, extradited from Portugal in 2005 to face trial in
eight cases, including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was
granted bail by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate
Rakesh Pandit in the case on furnishing of a personal and
surety bond of Rs one lakh each.
"Salem shall not intimidate witnesses, shall not leave
the country and shall not cause delay in the present case,"
the court said.

Police had initially charged Salem under section 384
(extortion) and 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC, which provides
for a maximum three-year jail term.

Later, police wanted to invoke section 387 (putting a
person in fear of death in order to commit extortion) of the
IPC against Salem which entails seven years jail as maximum
punishment.
"The same are not applicable to the facts and
circumstances of the case," the court said.

During the hearing, M S Khan, counsel for Salem, had
opposed the plea saying other co-accused have not been charged
under the harsher penal provision.